Padres Notes: Yankees Trade Proposal, Injured Pitcher Making Progress, Fernando Tatis ‘Out of Whack’

The San Diego Padres are sitting just 1.5 games back from the top of the National League West, but any team with president of baseball operations AJ Preller at the helm will almost always be looking towards the trade deadline to get better.

With that being said, a trade idea is seen from an ESPN analyst that would send Jeremiah Estrada to the New York Yankees. Although the initial reaction may (rightfully) be that the Padres have the best bullpen in MLB and breaking them up would be foolish, Preller always seems to have a trick up his sleeve regarding a big picture deal for the betterment of his team.

Additionally, an injured pitcher is making major steps towards his return to the mound. The 31-year-old right-hander is aiming to get back to assist a rotation that has had its fair share of injuries this season.

Finally, it is no secret that Fernando Tatis Jr. is off to a less-than-ideal start to the 2026 campaign. With June right around the corner, he still doesn't have a home run.

MLB insider Alden Gonzalez of ESPN spoke on his assessment of the superstar's season thus far.

"He just seems out of whack. He felt so jumpy to me in game one [against the Dodgers], very clearly just trying to pull the ball," Gonzalez said on Friar Territory. "In game two, his timing was just off."

"He is hitting the ball incredibly hard," Gonzalez added. " ... He's gotta find it because he's just too talented. But he is one who just mechanically, you can tell, there is something off there."

Gonzalez is correct in his Tatis assessment, especially given the fact that he is hitting the ball, on average, the ninth-hardest among qualified ball players. His 54.4% hard-hit rate (a batted ball that travels 95 mph or faster) is good for the 96th percentile in MLB.

And yet, he somehow is yet to hit one over the wall.

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres-Yankees Trade Idea Involving Jeremiah Estrada Makes Perfect Sense

Padres' Injured Starting Pitcher Takes First Big Step Toward Return

Padres' Fernando Tatis 'Out of Whack', According to MLB Insider

Padres' 275-Pound Undrafted Prospect Turning Into Potential Steal

Padres' Manny Machado Goes Viral for Blunt Exchange With Reporter

Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Series With First-Place Athletics

Padres Tweets of the Day

America’s No. 1 Ballpark has been named the Sports Facility of the Year at the 2026 @SBJ Sports Business Awards! pic.twitter.com/tpwotzneM8
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 21, 2026

The Padres have reportedly been exploring bullpen help and Josh Hader could be one name they are looking at if the Astros decide to sell, per @dennistlin & @Chandler_Rome:

“Hader, in the third year of a five-year, $95 million contract, has full no-trade protection, but the… pic.twitter.com/jHWZfVh7RK
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) May 21, 2026

Level up your Star Wars Weekend 💫 pic.twitter.com/KRVT1Vsrwq
— Petco Park (@PetcoPark) May 22, 2026

Alex McCoy's homer yesterday was an absolute monster shot to center that left the bat at 109 mph. He's bounced back from his one slump of the year very impressively. pic.twitter.com/67AQjzqtnY
— MadFriars - The source for Padres Prospects news (@madfriars) May 21, 2026

The Dodgers treated this Padres series differently — and you could feel it from Dave Roberts to Shohei Ohtani. 👀

The message was clear: "We're still the alphas, and you're still our baby brother," says @KPILLAR4. pic.twitter.com/0FpCuGlgtV
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 21, 2026

There's a "Fuck the Dodgers" burger at the Padres stadium. It has three rings on it

(via u/redsolocuppp) pic.twitter.com/AzvKg8KoZb
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 21, 2026

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